Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has kicked against staging the FIFA World Cup every two years, insisting that the health of the players must be respected.
There is talk of having a World Cup every two years, rather than every four.
Arsene Wenger, who is Fifa’s Chief of Global Football Development, is championing the idea with football’s governing body looking to utilise vacant summers on the calendar.
“I think it is very difficult to make the World Cup every two years because you don’t have the time,” Rohr said in an interview with Elegbete TV.
Read Also:2022 WCQ: Rohr Satisfied With Super Eagles’ Preparation For Liberia, Cape Verde Games
“The dates are already so fixed that you don’t have any time to do other qualifiers or other tournaments or playoffs. We only have 365 days in a year and we cannot play every day.
“But it is good that the next World Cup after Qatar there will be more teams to play. Africa, for example, will be having nine teams and not only five, which is much more democratic and realistic. It will give more chances to people to participate, but to play the World Cup every two years, for me, is actually impossible.
“We don’t have the time and we have to respect the health of the players; you cannot have teams with 45 players, which is very impossible.
“So, I think this proposition is not realistic because we have the AFCON already, which is every two years and we also have the Olympics, which we didn’t qualify for the last one and there is the U-20 tournament. There are so many competitions that it is impossible for me to have the World Cup every two years.”
20 Comments
This one too is talking orisirisi.
I want to use this medium to sensitize Rohr and picnic critics on this forum. It’s normal for any football fan to aired his view about the team they support but constructive criticisms is what any reasonable fan does in showing his/her displeasure about how the team he/follow is being run.
Reading comments of the likes of @Ugo nwonze(I’m not sure if I get that spelling right) and his cohort makes me think that what they have for GR, Picnic and Ighalo is nothing but a undiluted hatred. I think they have ulterior motives that has nothing to do.with football. I’m of Togolese descent born and brought up in Ogun State Nigeria and I don’t think anybody has the level of love and passion I have for the super eagles on this forum hence I should have been the one person to always attack and criticized this coach but i.choose not to do so because I think this coach is not doing too badly as most of us portrait here.
Either we love it or not GR still remains the Coach of the SE and he decides who should be invited and who should not be invited, the last time I checked Ighalo is still A Nigerian and still plays active football so if the coach thinks he’s the one that can give us the result why blaming him for inviting Ighalo? After all most of these players you guys are glamouring for have been invited one time or the other but they failed to grab the opportunity given to them. Amoniyi time will come but for now we should all support the team and the coach to give us the Qatar 2022 ticket first before we start reviewing the issue of the Awoniyis, Dennis, Umar, Moffi and couple of others.
God bless Nigeria and God bless Africa.
@Tancosports you lost me at Togolese decent. There is no way that somebody with Dual loyalty will love a team more than a person that only has that team to love. I don’t blame you how will you ever understand the level of loyalty and happiness this sport brings us. when your ties are split between the Sparrowhawks of Togo and My Darling SE.
You are indeed right but, let me reiterate I don’t hate Rohr, I just Love SE and, I cannot and will not keep quiet when people employed to better the teams fortunes are trying to derail them come the most crucial period, a tournament that ONLY comes around 4 times a year and, one where you need your BEST LEGS.
As long as Rohr persists with Musa, Musa especially this guy is the bane of my existence Ighalo I can stand, If he replaces Onuachu because I feel he can bring more than Onuachu. But I am angry because the caoch is dropping weapons like Awoniyi and Dennis. Let me tell you bro Musa captancy is what started my quarrel with Rohr because I cannot until today see how his invite is merited especially as each International break the players missing out a rising even more in their career whyil Musa is just stagnate. and Shehu a bench warmer in Cyprus making a team over Calvin Bassey, Bro, that is 3 positions 3. Do you understand that World cup is tournament that requires the use of your entire squad? .
Tancosport Don’t ever underestimate the Love I have for SE
Ugo, I think you have a pointed based on what you’ve pointed..
This is how to make your points clear.
You stated rightly what is wrong and I want to stand with you on this points aswell.
My displeasure is based on what you’ve also stated.
I don’t understand what you actually mean by “dual loyalty” I was born and brought up in Nigeria and I grow up watching Super eagles as far back as 1992. I can’t deny my root but the only sparrow hawks of Togo game I ever watched was the 2006 WC game they played against South Korea. i follow super eagles with passion and I don’t think you love SE more than I do. The crucial world cup qualifiers is just around the corner and I believe our focus should be on how to qualify out of this group first.
You really made some vital points which I really like but we should come together to support the team first irrespective of who the coach decides to play.
Tancosports if you are really Nigerian then you’ll know Rohr has not given the other players the kind of chances he gave Ighalo, even at a point Ighalo couldn’t score for more than 9 matches not until he started scoring against fishermen team. I don’t believe myself and anyone will benefit anything hating on Rohr but when he starts toying with our IQ by letting us loose key players to other countries or using Super Eagles as a marketing department of average players then we go shout. I remember Ugo was once a big fan of Rohr not until Rohr started playing to the tune of Pinnick. I don’t believe I also hate Pinnick because he is from my hometown but when he doesn’t do the rightful I will speak. You’re half Togolese so you can’t love Nigeria more than us because Nigeria is our only Home Baba!
Hi folks, I have just read the write-up. I would rather the reforms are part of a few suggestions to streamline the international calendar. Probably Arsenal Wenger believes it is easier to organise the football schedule for club managers.
However, when he took the gamble to restructure and introduce World cups every two years, what agitated my mind was, is the World Cup not going to lose its prestige? My agitation wasn’t that I’m against his reforms for I saw some good aspect of it though without prejudice, I didn’t take health of the players into consideration.
Now, there is a tipping point. The health of the players must be respected being echoed by the Super Eagle’s gaffer, Gernot Rohr has brought a different dimension.
I think if we go on like Wenger, we are probably going to hit the wall. What is absolutely detrimental to the players is repeated travelling and jet-lag which could come with couples of matches to be played.
Though Wenger is confident with his reforms, he’s certainly not going to be a monopoly to the final decision. I think third party opinions should be sought because the switch isn’t something to be tored with.
toiled with not error *tored with*
@Oseodion, the problem with Wenger is that he sees opposition to the biennial World Cups is an emotional response and doesn’t seems to want to stop despite the criticisms. Though Rohr is not alone in criticizing Wenger. Aleksander Ceferin who lives 5 houses away from mine(a rented apt.) was the first to raise concerns and was clear in his opposition to Wenger’s proposal. My POV is that the stance of the players should be in view.
@Tancosports bro you have said it all, just leave the wailer alone their wailing can not change anything infact if the man is to make another selection tomorrow he will still go for players he feel can do the job for him.it is his work and he has the right to invite anyone he likes. It’s them that need to go and face their work rather than concentrating their energy on another person job. They will still cry on Saturday by the time the man release the match day squad it’s then they start saying one player should have started instead of another. If one talk they will say cos they love the team as if they are the only fans. Something must have been paining them and we all know it. Las las God go still shame them come Saturday and guess what they will say it’s the player individual brilliant that won the match not the coach.
What are you typing? Did you read the article?
Mumu Tayo as usual you no wan get sense Omi ewa don full your head.
So wailing and gnashing of teeth over another person job when you are not the one that appointed him gives you sense? Continue with your foolishness.
@tayo baba, YES!! We will continue, you will thank us later. Have a good Day!
M. Abbas:
The same Wenger who failed to win European trophy with Arsenal after more than two decades in charge, as if we don’t even know what to contribute. How could he? He is now changing World cups format to suit certain purposes. We are all used to every 4 year tourney, the wait, the suspense, tourism because we need time to save money, not talking about sinking funds, for the 4-yearly jamboree. Rohr is 100% on point and I would advise FIFA to find a space at his board for Rohr. Health of the players come first.
Hmmm! This discourse is a bit on the high side but can we kill ourselves? We are men, so, we can’t! It’s like every position on this matter is to have Arsenal Wenger for the sack but despite Rohr’s position, we should also remember how amazing the World Cup is. It is the biggest tournament with the highest viewing public and, as a football fan, I always enjoy watching it. If I could watch it every two years that would be good. That said, I don’t think it’s good for us to kick against the idea. We could put it on the table, look at the good and bad angles then relate it, I mean Arsenal Wenger’s proposal could be open to debate.
Obviously, we haven’t reached an extreme point, have we? Wenger would still come tomorrow to tell us he isn’t rescinding, the biennial World Cup isn’t ridiculous and all that nonsense. He is maintaining the position because he feels we are dumb and deaf. We can’t even own up. If there were ever a time to join the conversation based on ideas, time is now, it’s like a call out but every contribution, however big or small, powers the essence of this switch and sustains cross pollination of ideas. It isn’t that the World isn’t reading. The other truth is, we could still continue to read while Wenger continues to have his way. My view point is to reject it totally by defending our original posture of every 4 year World cup.
Francis Eluba oooooooooooooooooo!!! Gbamiatically my thoughts.
I fully concur with Coach Rohr, nothing to add. Fan from LA.
@ Francis Eluba, Nigerians lacks continuity mostly in project execution. For a truth, there is need to sustain the discussion but the opinion here, by that I meant the main position is to down the idea of the switch from 4 to 2. And it is also obvious that Rohr is enjoying maximum support from all and sundry. @Sura said he would advise FIFA to find a space at its board for Rohr, that means Rohr is being regarded as a technocrat of international repute who could even sit at FIFA’s management board. The health of not just the players but everyone is important and this stands as a good selling point for Coach Rohr, he must continuously put hammer on it. Definitely, the coach is not selling sand to the Arab. And for those who are eager to have him out of SE might just be lucky to have their way, but not necessarily running him down. How you see am?